After all the spin coming from the club this week (keeping the players positive etc) what do we get? - one of the most inept home performances I have ever seen from Town that meant we were dead and buried after 20 minutes. We cannot attack and we cannot defend either and relegation surely looms. The spirit of 79 has blinded us all to the obvious - that GT and his staff will not get us out of this mess. The squad we have is bereft of quality and bereft of motivation. I do not trust GT's judgement on incoming players and I do not trust his management of the players he has - why does he continue with the current centre-backs when Jones has played better than either of them all season? Why does he never take off certain players (like Taylor) no matter how poorly they are performing? People say how would we get anyone better - I would say how could we get anyone worse than we have at the moment? There is no working short term strategy and certainly no hint of any long term strategy to develop the club. The current team would not get into the top half of League 2. We need a new manager and coaching staff now so that we can rebuild next year in League 2 and take the club forward. GT will always be remembered as our greatest ever manager but the best thing he and his staff can do now is go and go quickly.
All those advocating change should beware of what might happen ie. Jackson/Trewick as replacements. I would far rather get rid of these who seem to have little effect with their coaching.
KDS, I agree - did say we need a complete change- coaching staff as well. There are several out of work managers with a decent record in the lower leagues though we could look for a suitable player towards the end of his career (Like Notts Co have with Derry). If we do not make a change now we can just expect more of the same next year and I doubt we will make much of an impression even in League 2.
I certainly get the impression that GT will retire at the end of the season (at the latest). While Trewick doesn't seem to fancy management again, the likelihood of Jackson being appointed does make me worry a little. To some extent we have no idea about the coaching staff in terms of what their input is, and they're the same coaching staff that got us out of league two. However, while Jackson seems to have done a good job at bringing on the youngsters and bedding them into the first team squad, he just doesn't strike me as manager material and that certainly seems to be the general consensus. Two things I think we badly need in the backroom staff, whether that's a new manager or coach or assistant manager bringing them, whatever, are someone to work with the strikers (bending and timing of their runs, link-up play, snap shooting, shooting, finishing and sticking the ball in the back of the net) and someone to advise on the finer tactical points of the game. Turner just seems to set up with a formation and rough game plan and then expect the players to carry it out correctly, occasionally shouting at the wingers to switch around. What we need is someone to work with the midfield three on their movement and positioning; work with the full-backs and wingers on overlaps and overloads; work with the forwards with the above issues and to set out to them how to play their role in the system. Some who will identify strengths and weaknesses in the other team and make slight positional adjustments to target the weaknesses and negate the strengths, because it's clear that these things simply aren't happening.
I would hazard a guess as to most of all of the above are attended to. (Save working with the forwards. An interesting interview with Kevin Phillips suggests that no club does this or very rarely). The results expose the inadequacies of the coaches and players. If Jackson has a full UEFA coaching licence (which I think he has), it does little for his rumoured man-management skills.
It is difficult to quantify the effect the coaching has but the one area I think we can agree on is the depth and quality of our squad of players - even the clubs in a similar position to us seem to be able to stock their bench with League 1 quality players. We do not have that option and as a result there is very little pressure on the established first-teamers as they know they will retain their place even with a mediocre performance. On the topic of coaching forwards I remember Leroy Rosenoir having a very positive effect on our attacking play a few years back - do you think we could tempt him to rise from the pundit's couch?
......and Leroy's used to being in a fight after a few of his previous positions!! Maybe the arrival would bolster confidence, that's 50%, the other 50% is decent service!
The Rosenior effect has been mentioned a few time and is one thing that makes me wonder why we don't bother.
.....maybe the whole set up is apathetic and past its 'use by' date. Stale! If someone can convince people to join us and the money (ooops!, mentioned the 'c' word, cash!!) is available then GT 'upstairs' could guide a younger more vibrant person. We need it before it's too late! Unless we are happy to drop and rise phoenix-like from the ashes of Div. 2........just like Plymouth and Portsmouth (it's difficult to cry with tongue in cheek!)
if gt wants out, i would go for yates of cheltenham and ask him to bring jamie cureton with him. i suspect nobody will want to come to town if there is no money to spend.
